Scribd
Upload
26 views4 pages

Sentence Structure

Uploaded by

SU RF
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views4 pages

Sentence Structure

Uploaded by

SU RF
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Ms.

AINAD TABET L2 (AS, ER, ING, GM)

Sentence Structure and Types of Sentences

Basic Elements of a Sentence:


Subject: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action. Determine the
subject in a sentence by asking the question “Who or what?”
o I like spaghetti.
o He reads many books.
Verb: Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. Determine the
verb in a sentence by asking the question “What was the action or what happened?”
o I like spaghetti.
o He reads many books.
o The movie is good. (The be verb is also sometimes referred to as a copula or a
linking verb. It links the subject, in this case "the movie," to the complement or
the predicate of the sentence, in this case, "good.")
Object: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action. Determine
the object in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did what?” or “To
whom?/For whom?”
o I like spaghetti.
o He reads many books.
Prepositional Phrase: A phrase that begins with a preposition (i.e., in, at for, behind,
until, after, of, during) and modifies a word in the sentence. A prepositional phrase
answers one of many questions. Here are a few examples: “Where? When? In what
way?”
o I like spaghetti for dinner.
o He reads many books in the library.

Independent clause: An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains


a subject and a verb and is a complete idea.
o I like spaghetti.
o He reads many books.
Dependent clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached
to an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate
clause.
o Although I like spaghetti,…
o Because he reads many books,…

Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and
modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.
Here are a few examples:
 She smiled.
 She completed her literature review.
 He organized his sources by theme.
 They studied APA rules for many hours.

Compound Sentences
A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. These two
independent clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or
with a semicolon. FANBOYS ( for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so ).
Here are a few examples:
 She completed her literature review, and she created her reference list.
 He organized his sources by theme; so, he updated his reference list.
 They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was still
much to learn.

Complex Sentences
A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one
dependent clause.
If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on
the other hand, the sentence begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma
separating the two clauses.
Here are a few examples:
 Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to work on her
methods section.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent
clause.
 Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his readers to
follow.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent
clause.
 They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
o Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an
independent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentences
Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence contains at least
two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
 She completed her literature review, but she still needs to work on her
methods section even though she finished her methods course last semester.
 Although he organized his sources by theme, he decided to arrange them
chronologically, and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for
organization.
 They studied APA rules for many hours, and they decided that writing in
APA made sense because it was clear, concise, and objective.

Exercise : Identify whether each of the following sentences is simple, compound,


complex, or compound-complex.
1-The engineer tested the machine. Simple
2- The machine started to malfunction, and the technician had to investigate.
Compound
3-Because the system was overloaded, it shut down unexpectedly. Complex
4-The technician replaced the faulty part, but the machine still did not work.
Compound
5-The machine must be calibrated regularly. Simple
6-The engineer analyzed the data, and he proposed a new design. Compound
7-When the temperature rises, the system activates the cooling mechanism. Complex
8-The technician will replace the filters, but he needs to order the parts first.
Compound
9-The hydraulic system is efficient because it uses high-pressure fluid. Complex
10-The engineer explained the process, but the team did not fully understand because
the explanation was unclear. Compound-Complex

EXERCISE (ASSIGNMENT): Identify whether each of the following sentences is


simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.
11- The technician calibrated the machine.
12-The design was approved after the engineer made some modifications.
13-The hydraulic system failed, but the backup pump activated automatically.
14-When the temperature rises, the cooling system kicks in.
15-The gearbox is malfunctioning, and the engine is overheating, so the vehicle cannot
be operated safely.
16-Engineers tested the prototype extensively before releasing it to production.
17-The sensor malfunctioned, yet the system continued to operate.
18-The supervisor checked the machine, but she didn’t find any problems.
19-Because the material is heat-sensitive, we need to use a lower temperature for the
process.
20-The motor stopped working after the voltage exceeded the limit, and the operator
had to restart it.

You might also like